Under-11s entertain in all-Saints Southwest encounter

THERE was an all-Saints Southwest clash in Teignmouth on Saturday as the Devon Academy Under-11s took on their counterparts from the Somerset Academy.

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And it was the Devon-based side which came out on top on a chilly South Coast morning in front of a crowd of well wrapped-up parents.

It took 19 minutes for the deadlock to be broken when Raffety provided Leighton for the opening goal for Devon.

Raffety turned from provider to scorer at the beginning of the second quarter before Somerset got on the scoresheet thanks to a spectacular effort from Adrian.

Alfie and Leighton would hit back for Devon before half-time to extend the lead once more.

That same Devon duo added two more goals each in the second half, with other efforts also coming from Jacob, Theo and Charlie.

Devon Under-11s Academy Head Coach Kai Champion said: “Although we did have a bit of a slow start, we were able to eventually overcome that and show more of what we’re capable of.

“I felt that the scoreline at the end didn’t really do Saints Somerset’s performance justice, but in terms of our performance there are plenty of positives to take.

“We have our Gold, Silver and Bronze awards for top players – and Gold went to Theo because he was pivotal for us going forward.

“Silver went to Charlie who did really well at centre-back, controlling the back-line and communicating very well.

“And bronze went to Leighton who ended up with four goals and three assists.”

Somerset Under-11s Academy Head Coach Lewis Bellringer said: “Today we came up against a very strong Saints Devon side who kept the ball very well.

“In previous matches we’ve been able to dominate possession but today we struggled to retain the ball and gave it away to easily which you can’t do against top sides.

“Moving forwards we continue to learn and develop as a team, trusting our principles and continue to build trust in each other. Credit must go to Kai and his team who played some fantastic football.”